Carbonating type dispensing faucet



April 5, 1955 J. c. BURNS 2,705,578 CARBONATING TYPE DISPENSING FAUCET Filed Feb. 4, 1952 l-yl 27 7 ll 29 /a H E 55 2 L72 ll ll wow INVEN TOR.

gohn C. B urns United States Patent 0 CARBONATING TYPE DISPENSING FAUCET John C. Burns, Portland, Oreg.

Application February 4, 1952, Serial No. 269,813

6 Claims. (Cl. ZZZ-80.5)

This invention relates to a carbonating type dispensing faucet which is made to fit, interchangeably, on the neck of most standard carbonated beverage bottles. In combination with the faucet, there is provided a pressure capsule of carbon dioxide or the like and an automatic pressure regulator valve so the effervescent quality of the carbonated beverage may be maintained during storage and so the contents of the bottle may be dispensed under pressure without loss or accidental spilling.

One object of my invention is to provide a dispensing faucet of the above described type which is compact in form and which quickly and easily can be secured to the neck of a standard bottle by the average householder. Thus, the householder can purchase the larger, economy size of his favorite carbonated beverage without fear that the half-used contents may become flat from loss of sparkle and effervescent quality during storage.

Carbonated beverages, such as soda water, ginger ale, and the like, today are marketed in bottles having a variety of capacities. For example, soda water is available in one pint and one quart sizes whereas beer is available in one pint, one quart and half gallon containers. A purchase of the larger sized bottle allows the householder to effect a small net saving. Although the capacr ties may vary, however, the tops of most beverage bottles are formed to a standard size in order that a standard sealing cap may be applied thereto. The dispensing faucet of the instant invention is made to fit this standard bottle top.

Oftentimes, however, the purchase of a large or jumbo size bottle of carbonated beverage does not, actually, effect a saving for the reason that the entire contents cannot be consumed at one sitting or during one evening. Accordingly, the half emptied bottle is recapped or otherwise stoppered and stored in the refrigerator for use at a later date. As is well known to the aver age householder, such an attempt to maintain the effervescent, sparkling quality of the beverage is ineflicient and unreliable. Later, when the bottle is reopened, it will be found that the beverage is flat and has lost its sparkle or effervescent quality.

I have found that two factors combine to cause a half emptied bottle of carbonated beverage to go fiat. Firstly, the cap or stopper often is not tight and some of the carbon dioxide gas is allowed to escape during storage. Secondly, even when the bottle is sealed tightly, the original uncapping of the bottle has allowed some of the gas to escape. Further, during consumption of the contents, the gas or air volume above the liquid increases as the volume of liquid decreases. Accordingly, more gas or pressure must be supplied, from the liquid to the space above the liquid, once more to balance off the pressures within the sealed bottle. The instant invention is directed toward a solution of these problems so the average householder may purchase carbonated beverages in the large economy size, yet the effervescent quality of the contents will not be lost during storage and after a portion of the contents has been consumed.

To this end, I provide a dispensing faucet which combines a carbon dioxide pressure capsule, as a source of high pressure gas, and a pressure regulator valve with a dispensing type faucet and a bottle neck gripping element. When secured to the neck of a standard carbonated beverage bottle, the pressure regulator valve serves, automatically, to add more gas to the space above the beverage whenever the pressure falls off during use or storage. Further, this dispensing faucet is provided with an outlet the dispensing are tightened about the bottle neck 1a.

2,705,578 Patented Apr. 5, 1955 valve which controls liquid flow from the bottle to a hollow discharge spout, said flow being enhanced by the gaseous pressure which automatically is replenished and maintained above the liquid. Still further, my dispensing faucet is provided with an elongated shaft and punch element which terminates in a tapered nose defining a pressure seal valve means. This punch, accordingly, serves two functions. Firstly, it is movable laterally toward and away from the carbon dioxide pressure capsule to puncture the end thereof. Secondly, it cooperates with a valve seat which is carried concentric with the neck of the pressure capsule to seal the pressure capsule against the loss of gas when the dispensing faucet is transferred from bottle to bottle. That is to say, my dispensing faucet is very economical in use because it is saving of carbon dioxide gas. This saving results from a combination of two cooperating structures. Firstly, by utilizing an automatic pressure regulator valve, carbon dioxide gas is added to the bottle only when the pressure has dropped to a preselected lower level. Further, only a suflicient amount of gas is added to bring the pressure back up to the preselected value. Secondly, by utilizing the aforementioned tapered pressure seal valve, the bottle can be sealed from the carbon dioxide pressure capsule when capsules are to be changed and the same seal can be effected when the dispensing faucet is to be changed from one bottle to another.

Accordingly, another object of my invention is to provide a dispensing faucet in which both of the above described cooperating structures are utilized in order that the faucet will be inexpensive to operate and will serve to dispense and maintain the quality of a number of bottles with but one carbon dioxide pressure capsule.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent in the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side view, partially broken away, showing my dispensing faucet in position upon the neck of a bottle, certain parts being broken away better to disclose the operating relationship thereof;

Fig. 2 is a top section View, taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing the relationship of the elongated shaft and punch which serves both as a piercing element and as a valve in cooperation with a carbon dioxide pressure capsule; and

Fig. 3 is a further partial section view, taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 2, showing the diaphragm actuated pressure regulator valve which controls the flow gt the carbon dioxide gas from the pressure capsule to the Off 6.

The numeral 1 indicates a standard glass bottle of the type in which carbonated beverages conventionally are sold. This bottle is provided with a neck 1a upon which faucet of this invention detachably and sealingly is mounted. To this end, the faucet proper includes an elongated cylindrical body 4 on the lower end of which is mounted an engaging means for gripping the outer periphery of the bottle neck 1a. This engaging means, as shown, consists of a plurality of fingers 5 and an actuation piece 6. The actuation piece, by cam or screw thread engagement, forces the fingers into tight gripping relationship with the bottle neck. Thus, by rotating the actuation piece 6 in one direction, the fingers 5 An opposite rotation loosens the fingers so the dispensing faucet may be removed from the neck and transferred to another point of use.

Protruding laterally from the upper end of the cylindrical body 4 and formed integral therewith is an elongated cylindrical housing 7. This housing 7 bounds an elongated hollow chamber 8 which is adapted to receive a carbon dioxide or other gaseous pressure capsule 9. Further, one end of the hollow chamber 8 terminates in a resilient gasket 10 against which the neck of the capsule 9 is forced when the threaded closure 11, at the other end of the chamber, is tightened in place. Thus, gas which is allowed to escape under pressure from the capsule 9 cannot be lost back into the hollow chamber 8 or out to atmosphere but, instead, must exit through the aperture in the gasket 10.

As a comparison of Figs. 2 and 3 will indicate, the cylindrical body 4 is pierced by a first passageway 12 which extends longitudinally of the body and is open to that end of the body which carries the fingers 5 and the actuation piece 6. At the opposite end of the body, this passageway terminates in a compartment 13. Intermediate the compartment 13 and the aforementioned hollow chamber 8, I arrange the tapered nose 14 which protrudes from the shaft of an elongated pointed punch means 15. One end of this punch means carries a thumb screw actuation piece 15a by means of which the punch selectively is moved toward and away from the chamber 18. That is to say, the elongated punch means 15 is mounted in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the hollow chamber 8 and the tapered nose 14 performs two functions. Firstly, the point on the tapered nose 14 serves to puncture the end of the pressure capsule 9 when gas is to be released therefrom. Secondly, the tapered nose cooperates with a valve seat (see Fig. 2) intermediate the compartment 13 and the chamber 8. By this cooperation, the upper end of the first passageway 12 may be sealed against the entrance or escape of carbon dioxide gas when the dispensing faucet is to be transferred from one bottle to another. In similar vein, the passageway may be sealed by the tapered nose when an exhausted pressure capsule is to be replaced.

Returning now to the flow of carbon dioxide gas from the compartment 13 through the first passageway 12, this flow is controlled by a diaphragm actuated pressure regulator valve. This valve includes a tapered valve head 16 which cooperates with a complementary valve seat and which is joined to a circular diaphragm 17. The diaphragm, in turn, is retained in place by means of a cap 18 which threadedly grips a mated portion of the body 4. Centrally of this cap 18, an adjustment cup 19 cooperates with screw threads in the cap 18 adjustably to retain a compression spring 20. The outer face of the cup 19 is pierced and is grooved, as at 21, to accommodate a screw driver when the cup is to be adjusted toward or away from the diaphragm 17 and to provide communication with the atmosphere. Thus, the first or outer side of the diaphragm 17 is exposed to atmospheric pressure via the aperture 21 and the second or inner side thereof as exposed to the pressure within the first passageway 12. In practice, of course, the pressure within the passageway 12 will exceed atmospheric pressure so the compression spring 20 effectively bears upon and helps bias the first or outer side of the diaphragm to the system balance. The degree of balance may be regulated by turning the cup 19 as hereinafter will be described.

Turning now to Fig. 1, the cylindrical body 4 also is pierced by a second passageway 22 which extends longitudinally of the body and is parallel the first passageway 12. This second passageway 22 is provided with internal screw threads for cooperation with an elongated siphon tube 23. This siphon tube protrudes beyond the bottle neck engaging means 5, 6 and down into the bottom of the bottle 1 to define a liquid discharge passage. At the upper end of the second passageway 22, a hollow discharge spout 24 leads laterally, at an oblique angle, away from the body to direct the liquid into a glass or the like.

At the upper end of the body 4, a straight bore or third passageway 25 is provided slidably to accommodate an elongated control rod 26. The rod 26, in turn, terminates at one end in a push disk 27 and, at the other end, in an outlet valve means 28. Further, if desired, a compression spring 29 may be interposed between the body of the dispensing faucet and the push disk 27 to retain the outlet valve 28 in the closed position when no pressure exists in the passageway 22.

As to the outlet valve itself, a tapered valve seat 30 is provided therefore and the valve head 28 is seated with the direction of flow so that any pressure evident in the second passageway 22 will hold the valve against its seat and inhibit an inadvertent opening of the valve. Thus, flow of liquid from the bottle 1 out the discharge spout 24 is controlled by the outlet valve 28 and actuation thereof is had by depressing the push disk 27. However, a conscious effort is required to open the outlet valve.

As an optional feature of my invention (see Fig. 3) I have provided a pressure relief valve for the first passageway 12. This pressure relief valve best takes the form of a ball valve 31 held seated by a compression spring 32. Adjustment of the relief valve is had by means of a pierced and threaded adjustment screw 33, the aperture of which;

communicates with the atmosphere. Thus, adjustment of the screw 33 will set the pressure relief valve 31 to open at a preselected pressure. If, for example, the bottle 1 is brought into a warm room, the gaseous pressure therein will build up. When this pressure reaches a preselected value, it will be relieved via the first passageway 12, the ball valve 31, and the aperture in the adjustment screw 33.

In operation, my dispensing faucet is useful with any standard carbonated beverage bottle since the neck engaging means 5, 6 is adapted to fit a standard bottle neck. A householder, for example, may prefer to effect a saving by the purchase of a large economy size bottle 1 of carbonated beverage. Immediately after opening the bottle, the dispensing faucet is clamped to the neck thereof 1a means of the fingers 5 and the actuation piece 6. Thereafter, by inserting a pressure capsule of carbon dioxide gas in the hollow chamber 8, and by piercing the end of this pressure capsule with the tapered nose 14, a supply of high pressure carbon dioxide gas will be made available. The punch 15 is backed off and the gaseous pressure is fed against the seated valve head 16. If, at this time, the pressure within the bottle 1 equals or exceeds the preselected pressure to which the diaphragm actuated valve 16 is set, nothing will happen. However, should a portion of the contents be removed, as by depressing the push disk 27, the gaseous pressure within the bottle 1 will fall off and the diaphragm actuated regulator valve 16 will function. That is to say, when the combined atmospheric pressure and the force of the compression spring 20 exceeds the pressure on the other side of the diaphragm (the pressure in the first passageway 12), the valve 16 will be forced open and the carbon dioxide gas will flow down the first passageway 12 and into the bottle 1. When a state of equilibrium once more is established, the valve 16 automatically will close.

On the other hand, if the pressure within the bottle 1 builds up, as it would in the presence of heat, the pressure relief valve 31 may be actuated, again, automatically. However, this is an unusual state of affairs and will not often take place. In any event one feature of my invention is that the cup 19 can be adjusted to tighten or relieve the bias force of the spring 20. Thus, the faucet easily and quickly may be accommodated to beverages of varying carbon dioxide or gaseous pressure.

To dispense the carbonated beverage from the bottle 1, the push disk 27 is depressed against the force of the pressure in the second passageway 22 (as this pressure acts against the valve 28) and liquid will be forced up the siphon tube 23 and out the hollow discharge spout 24. This discharge of liquid will lower the pressure in the bottle 1, of course, so the diaphragm actuated regulator valve 16 once more will be called upon to replenish the preselected pressure. Accordingly, the contents of the bottle will be maintained in effervescent sparkling condition at all times. At this point, a further advantage of my invention should be evident. Thus, a conventional carbon dioxide pressure capsule 9 contains sufiicient carbon dioxide gas to discharge and to maintain the quality of the contents of several bottles of beverage. According, when one bottle is empty, the dispensing faucet can be transferred to another bottle without serious loss of pressure simply by rotating the thumb screw 15a to close the tapered nose 14 against the valve seat companion thereto. Thereafter, the flow of gas from the pressure capsule 9 effectively is blocked and the actuation piece 6 may be backed off to release the dispensing faucet from the bottle neck. Once the faucet again is in place, the tapered nose 14 can be backed off and the automatic pressure regulator 16 once more will take effect.

On the other hand, if only a portion of the contents of a bottle 1 have been discharged at the time that one of the carbon dioxide pressure capsules 9 completely is exhausted, again the effervescent quality of the liquid need not be lost. This is for the reason that the tapered nose 14 can be seated to close the passageway from the chamber 8 into the compartment 13 and the threaded closure 11, thereafter, may be backed off. As a new carbon dioxide pressure capsule 9 is inserted in place and the threaded closure 11 again is screwed tight, of course, the pointed end of the nose 14 will puncture the capsule. Thereafter, the thumb screw 15a may be backed off and the renewed pressure will be effective to discharge the remainder of the contents of the bottle 1 and to retain the unused portion thereof in effervescent quality.

In summary, my dispensing faucet makes practical the purchase of carbonated beverages in the large economy size bottle since the etfervescent quality thereof may be maintained and little if any of the contents will be lost due to spilling or the like. That is to say, the pressure closure of the outlet valve 28 and the easily directed discharge spout 24 assure a minimum of inadvertent discharge or spilling of the beverage from the bottle 1 so long as the dispensing faucet is maintained in tight engagement with the neck of the bottle.

I claim:

1. A dispensing faucet, comprising an elongated cylindrical body having at one end engaging means for gripping the outer periphery of a bottle neck, a passageway extending longitudinally of said body and open to said one end thereof, an elongated housing protruding from the other end of said body, said housing bounding an elongated hollow chamber communicating with said passage way and adapted to receive a pressure capsule, an elongated punch and valve means operatively carried by the said other end of the body for reciprocal movement toward and away from said hollow chamber, and a pressure regulator valve means carried intermediate the ends of said body for controlling flow through said passageway.

2. A carbonating type dispensing faucet, comprising an elongated cylindrical body having at one end engaging means detachably and sealingly for gripping the outer periphery of a bottle neck, a first passageway extending longitudinally of said body, an elongated cylindrical housing protruding laterally from the other end of said body, said housing bounding an elongated hollow chamber communicating with said first passageway and adapted to receive a pressurized carbon dioxide gas capsule, an elongated punch and valve means operatively carried by the said other end of the body for reciprocal movement toward and away from said hollow chamber, said punch means terminating in a tapered nose defining a valve means selectively for sealing flow from said hollow chamber to said first passageway, and a diaphragm actuated pressure regulator valve means carried intermediate the endsof said body for controlling flow through said passageway, said diaphragm having a first side exposed to atmospheric pressure and having an adjustable spring bias bearing thereon and having a second side exposed to the pressure within said first passageway.

3. A dispensing faucet, comprising an elongated cylindrical body having at one end engaging means for gripping the outer periphery of a bottle neck, a first passageway extending longitudinally of said body and open to said one end thereof, an elongated housing protruding from the other end of said body and formed integral therewith, said housing bounding an elongated hollow chamber communicating with said first passageway and adapted to receive a pressure capsule, an elongated pointed punch means operatively carried by the said other end of the body in alignment with the longitudinal axis of said hollow chamber for reciprocal movement toward and away therefrom, a pressure regulator valve means carried intermediate the ends of said body for controlling flow through said first passageway, a second passageway extending longitudinally of said body and communicating with a siphon tube which protrudes beyond said engaging means, and a hollow discharge spout protruding laterally from said body and communicating with said second passageway and siphon tube.

4. A carbonating type dispensing faucet, comprising an elongated cylindrical body having at one end engaging means detachably and sealingly for gripping the outer periphery of a bottle neck, a first passegaway extending longitudinally of said body and open to said one end thereof, an elongated cylindrical housing protruding laterally from the other end of said body, said housing bounding an elongated hollow chamber communicating with said first passageway and adapted to receive a pres surized carbon dioxide gas capsule, and a diaphragm actuated pressure regulator valve means carried intermediate the ends of said body for controlling flow through said first passageway, a second passageway extending longitudinally of said body and communicating with a siphon tube which protrudes beyond said engaging means, a hollow-discharge spout protruding laterally from said body and communicating with said second passageway, a hollow bore extending longitudinally of said body and open at one end of said second passageway, and an elongated control rod slidably carried within said hollow bore and terminating in an outlet valve means which protrudes operatively within said second passageway to control flow therethrough.

5. A dispensing faucet, comprising an elongated cylindrical body having at one end engaging means for gripping the outer periphery of a bottle neck, said engaging means being circular in outline and having a larger circumference than the circumference of said cylindrical body, a first passageway extending longitudinally of said body and terminating within said larger circumference, an elongated cylindrical housing protruding laterally from the other end of said body and formed integral therewith, said housing bounding an elongated hollow chamber communicating with said first passageway and adapted to receive a pressure capsule, an elongated punch and valve means operatively carried by the said other end of the body in alignment with the longitudinal axis of said hollow chamber for reciprocal movement toward and away therefrom, said punch means including a thumb screw actuation piece mounted without said cylindrical body, a diaphragm actuated pressure regulator valve means carried intermediate the ends of said body for controlling flow through said first passageway, said diaphragm having a first side exposed to atmospheric pressure and aided in movement by a spring bias and having a second side exposed to the pressure within said first passageway, a second passageway extending longitudinally of said body parallel said first passageway, said second passageway communicating with a siphon tube which protrudes beyond said engaging means, and a hollow discharge spout protruding laterally at an oblique angle from said body and communicating with said second passageway and said siphontube.

6. A carbonating type dispensing faucet, comprising an elongated cylindrical body having at one end engaging means detachably and sealingly for gripping the outer periphery of a bottle neck, a first passageway extending longitudinally of said body and open to said one end thereof, an elongated housing protruding from the other end of said body, said housing bounding an elongated hollow chamber communicating with said first passageway and adapted to receive a pressurized carbon dioxide gas capsule, an elongated pointed punch means operatively carried by the said other end of the body in alignment with the longitudinal axis of said hollow chamber for reciprocal movement toward and away therefrom, said punch terminating in a tapered nose defining a valve means selectively for sealing flow from said hollow chamber to said first passageway, a pressure regulator valve means carried intermediate the ends of said body for controlling flow through said first passageway, a second passageway ex tending longitudinally of said body parallel said first passageway and communicating with a siphon tube which protrudes beyond said engaging means, a hollow discharge spout protruding laterally from said body and communicating with said second passageway, a third passageway extending longitudinally of said body parallel said first passageway and open at one end to said second passageway, and an elongated control rod slidably carried within said third passageway and terminating in an outlet valve means which protrudes operatively within said second passageway to control flow therethrough, said outlet valve means being seated with the direction of flow to define a pressure bias inhibiting in inadvertent opening of said second passageway.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 677,755 Branch July 2, 1901 1,979,390 Jacobs Nov. 6, 1934 2,014,824 Wallace Sept. 17, 1935 2,061,642 Williamson Nov. 24, 1936 2,160,043 Threm May 30, 1939 2,190,688 Snelling Feb. 20, 1940 2,388,026 Ward Oct. 30, 1945 

